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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29852676">say it back</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PossetteTheNotPoet/pseuds/PossetteTheNotPoet'>PossetteTheNotPoet</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner RPF, The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Confessions, Fluff, M/M, Minho Kim, Newt Durnham, Reckless Driving, Thomas Isaacs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:42:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,659</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29852676</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PossetteTheNotPoet/pseuds/PossetteTheNotPoet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>How his life was almost ruined and fixed by 143.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Implied - Minho/Newt/Thomas, Newt/Thomas (Maze Runner)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>say it back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I speed-wrote this at 3:33 am last night after I woke up from a car crash dream and immediately decided that it was going to be Newtmas fic (except I didn't actually turn it into a car crash/death fic) and so I began brainstorming and typing and finished it by the time the sun started rising. It's probably shitty since there are some holes, but oh well.</p><p>I am also <em>very</em> inexperienced with how drifting and speeding works (and also trains lol), so feel free to critic about that and other things on this fic! Hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's January 1 of 2017 when Thomas calls Newt for the very first time in the entirety of their fourteen-year friendship.</p><p>At one in the afternoon, Newt's phone rang, and it wasn't Sonya calling to say that she was going to crash at Harriet's place for the weekend. It was Tommy's icon on his phone screen. Although puzzled, pleased, and confused at the same time, he presses the accept button and puts the call on speaker to continue unloading the dish washer. It's silent for a solid minute until the blonde speaks.</p><p>"Tommy?"</p><p>The jittery voice of his best friend immediately vibrates through his phone's speakers.</p><p>
  <em>"Yeah- Yeah it's Thomas. Sorry, just never expected you'd pick up."</em>
</p><p>"Why wouldn't I pick up when it's you calling? Especially for the first time?"</p><p>
  <em>"I don't know."</em>
</p><p>Newt just laughs as he finishes stacking the last dish on the drying rack, cracking a few tired bones in his fingers before picking up his phone from the kitchen island. He heads up his stairs and into his room whilst checking to see if there were any more chores to be done.</p><p>"So what's up?"</p><p>
  <em>"It's the first of January."</em>
</p><p>"What?" The blonde cocks his head in question. "What the buggering hell?"</p><p><em>"Nothing. I'm at Teresa's house right now.</em>"</p><p>"Ah, Brenda's girlfriend?"</p><p>
  <em>"Yeah."</em>
</p><p>"Well that's cool." It's silent after that. Then the hang-up tone beeps, scaring Newt who was reading something on his laptop.</p><p>"Tommy?" Nothing. "Thomas? Thomas Isaacs? Did the shank just hang up on me?" He sighs in exasperation. What was that about? First of January? Why'd he end the call so soon? It hasn't been even five minutes yet! He sighs again.</p><p> </p><p>[...]</p><p> </p><p>It's April 4 of 2018 when Thomas called again. Newt didn't pick up. It wasn't like he didn't want to. He had put his phone on aeroplane mode, left it on his bed and fell asleep in the living room's couch. It was eleven in the evening when Newt decided to check his notifications just for a quick moment. The missed call notification was buried under a pile of reminders and missed alarms, and he didn't see Thomas's message until the next day.</p><p>
  <em>tommyshank;<br/>
<strong>1 missed call</strong></em>
</p><p>
  <em>check the date i last called you on</em>
</p><p>Newt reread the single message to make sure he wasn't seeing things. He had a lot of questions, but he checked the date Tommy last called anyway. He last called on April the fourth at seven in the evening. The blonde didn't quite understand what his best friend was trying to imply. What the hell was up with him and dates? Was he counting something?</p><p>
  <em>you;<br/>
april 1? what's up though?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>tommyshank;<br/>
nothing<br/>
wrong send sorry</em>
</p><p>
  <em>you;<br/>
its all good shank</em>
</p><p>The conversation ended there, and Newt proceeded to make his family's breakfast, eggs sizzling on the frying pan loudly.</p><p> </p><p>[...]</p><p> </p><p>March third of 2019 rolled around and Newt was making juice for Sonya's guests when his phone rang, Welcome To The Jungle ringtone indicating it was Tommy who was calling. It's been a year since he'd last called, which was when he was cooking breakfast. He was happy to put the ice-cold pitcher back on the counter and accept the call.</p><p>The line clicked and the call goes through in time for Newt to witness Tommy sneezing. Newt burst out laughing and Thomas reddens shyly.</p><p>"That sneeze was adorable Tommy!"</p><p>
  <em>"It wasn't adorable though."</em>
</p><p>"Anyway, you need something?"</p><p>
  <em>"Nothing, just wanted to hear you."</em>
</p><p>"It's rare of you to be actually calling me constantly. Well,not constantly, but you've been calling once a year for the past two years on such random dates. Say, are you planning something?</p><p><em>"Not really,"</em> Newt feigns hurt in his voice when he whines. <em>"Like I said, just wanted hear you."</em></p><p>"Aw, did the shank miss me?"</p><p><em>"Slim it."</em> Newt laughs again and commends the brunette for using their made-up slang. Along the way of the conversation, his sister yells out for the snacks impatiently and the boy <em>swears</em> he heard Tommy mutter "Third of March" as he exited the kitchen in a rush. </p><p>When Newt came back to apologize for his sudden disappearance, Tommy had already ended the call.</p><p> </p><p>[...]</p><p> </p><p>It's December 14 2020 when realizes should've seen it. He should've taken greater note on the dates. Newton Durnham should've dived deeper to see why the hell Thomas kept calling at such random times. He was calling once a year and that had definitely meant something. <em>Something</em>. Those rare calls had meant something yet Newt had decided to brush it off and carry on like his anti-social best friend hadn't called him three times; the very first calls that Thomas had ever commenced by himself.</p><p>"<em>Bloody hell!</em>" The blonde seethes as he barely misses a curb. The tires leave drift marks on the asphalt road but Newt didn't care and instantly floored the gas when another hurriedly pulled over to make way for the reckless driver.</p><p>Those three specific dates were a secret code, a code that Thomas had been signalling to him for four years. <em>Four fucking years!</em> And he was stupid to ignore those signals. So bloody stupid. Looks like he's the one with klunk for brains now.</p><p>A woman lets out a scream and pulls her child back in time for Newt to speed by. He was going at a hundred kilometres per hour, and fuck that. Thomas was leaving in twenty minutes and he was leaving for good. </p><p>He glances at his watch and scowls angrily  when he realizes it's only fifteen more minutes before Tommy's train leaves. The route to the station was at least thirty minutes far by car, and he only had half the time to make it there.</p><p>"We're taking a detour!" Newt shouts at the passenger seat which was occupied by a Minho who is too shaken to even respond. Eventually, he registers the words but is a bit too late to scream back when the blonde suddenly drives off the road and smashes through thin barb gates. They find themselves on a farm and people are complaining in shouts behind them.</p><p>"We're on private property Newt!"</p><p>"I know that shank!"</p><p>He really does. But he doesn't care about anything anymore. He just has to get to Tommy.</p><p>"Oh my god don't hit the chicken— <em><strong>Newt don't hit it!</strong></em>"</p><p>Screams and curses ensue, the commotion only pressuring Newt even more. Twelve minutes was on the line and he couldn't afford to lose his best friend. He just couldn't. So when the view of an old-fashioned train station comes in view, Newt goes faster than he has ever gone before. Minho clutches the head of his seat tightly and starts chanting prayers as the car's engine continued to rev louder and louder.</p><p>They reach the station's entrance with only four minutes left. Minho helps Newt push through the busy crowd and once they finally catch sight of Thomas's train, the blonde sprints like crazy, blood and heart pumping wildly like a cheetah chasing for its prey.</p><p>He trips. </p><p>And the train starts moving, making his guts drop. It starts running, and minutes later, it's gone and is at full speed. The train's gone.</p><p>Tommy's gone.</p><p>
  <em>He's gone.</em>
</p><p>"Minho, he's-" Newt whispers as pain starts clenching around his chest. It's impossible to breathe. "No.."</p><p>The Asian walks beside him and solemnly rests his hand on the empty boy's shoulder, consoling his loss. It's too much, he can't believe it. He wasn't able to tell Tommy about how he felt the same. About how he loved him back.</p><p>January stood for 1, April stood for 4, and March stood for 3. The months stood for numbers, numbers that had meaning. </p><p>143. I love you.</p><p>"I love you too Tommy." Newt's voice cracks as he raises a hand to fist at his shirt. They just stood there, Minho rubbing his best friend's back and Newt sobbing quietly. They thought they were going to stand there for the entire day. </p><p>Until a nervous voice spoke up.</p><p>"I'm glad you figured it out Newt."</p><p>The boy whipped around so fast, he almost broke his neck. Even Minho could say that he did the same. There in front of them, dressed lousily in jeans and a hoodie, was Thomas holding his backpack. He was smiling happily.</p><p>"You-"</p><p>"Yes me, it's Thomas."</p><p>The brunette smiles even wider when Newt desperately grabbed onto him to drag him into a crushing hug. It was warm again. So warm. Newt didn't want to let go, not after when he thought he had lost him forever. But he had to because he didn't want to ruin Thomas's hoodie with his salty tears.</p><p>The shorter male laughs and brings up a sleeved arm to wipe at the other's face.</p><p>"I'm right here, don't cry anymore."</p><p>"Tommy," Newt starts sobbing all over again and buries his forehead into the crook of Thomas's head. "I'm so sorry, I should've noticed."</p><p>"It's fine. Because you did."</p><p>"I almost lost you!"</p><p>"But you didn't." He smiles and wipes Newt's cheek again, and moves up to place a comforting kiss on the blonde's forehead. Newt spends the next hour crying and apologizing to him again and again. Minho joins the two after getting a box of tissues and soda drinks from the station's mart, Newt gratefully taking the box.</p><p>Although not in the relationship,the black haired boy accepts a kiss on the cheek from Thomas. Minho announces he'll be the driver so Newt and Thomas can cuddle in the backseats.</p><p>That night, the trio slept on Thomas's rooftop. They laughed, they cried, they sang, they enjoyed the night with each other's company. And for the first time, Newt felt like his life was complete. Like the void in his heart was now filled.</p><p>Filled by Tommy.</p><p>"I love you." Newt whispered to Thomas before his closed his eyes, smiling when Thomas whispers back,</p><p>"I love you too."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Kudos, bookmarks, and comments are well-loved here! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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